Why Andrea Likes ObamaCare

March 28, 2012

Most of the health care stories that our volunteers and supporters have been sharing this month have concerned physical ailments or illnesses. Andrea, an Iowa college student, shared how the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has made it easier to treat her clinical depression.

"About a year and a half before the ACA became law, I sought treatment for my depression. But because my health insurance company required pre-authorization for mental health services, I could not get the care I needed right away.

There was a lot of confusion about how much insurance would pay, which placed an unnecessary burden on me and my family during an already stressful time."

This is but one of millions of examples of insurance companies using unnecessary and complicated rules and regulations to delay, deter or block treatment entirely. When President Obama signed the ACA into law, many of those polices came to an end.

"Obamacare has made it so that I don’t need pre-authorization from my insurance company for outpatient mental health services. The law also requires insurance companies to cover mental health as much as they do physical health. This has made getting affordable care for mental health services more accessible now than ever before, and as more parts of the ACA are implemented, it will get even better.

This is great news for people struggling with various mental health conditions, including myself. Because mental health issues are still highly stigmatized in this country, it’s very hard for a person dealing with a mental illness to speak out and be their own advocate.

That’s why the Obama administration’s advocacy for affordable and accessible mental health treatment and a greater understanding that mental health is just as important as physical health is so important.